Murray following in steps of former Heisman winner Ward
CMORGANTOWN, W.VA.
harlie Ward doesn’t ask why Kyler Murray would try to win a Heisman Trophy and then play major league baseball.
Ward asks why wouldn’t Murray attempt such a dynamic double?
“There’s no kid that I know wouldn’t sign up for that deal,” Ward said this week from Tallahassee, Florida, where he’s a hero every bit as much as Murray or Baker Mayfield are in Norman.
Ward did sign up for that deal.
As Murray reaches the biggest game of his college career— a Big 12 semifinal Friday night against West
Virginia — his profile is soaring. Murray is bearing down on Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa for the Heisman lead, the Sooners have an offense of historic proportions and OU still harbors hopes of the College Football Playoff.
All while the Oakland Athletics, who gave Murray a $4.7 million contract last summer, wait for him to pick up a baseball bat.
Same way that Charlie Ward won the 1993 Heisman Trophy with Florida State and the next November was playing point guard for the New York Knickerbockers.
Why is Murray doing what he’s doing? Same reason Ward did. Because they can.
“I got the best of both worlds,” said Ward, now the boys basketball coach at Florida High School in Tallahassee.
At Florida State, Ward became an all-time great football player and a key part of three NCAA Tournament basketball teams that won six March Madness games.
“Plus got a degree,” Ward said. “I had a great college life. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
And Ward applauds Murray for doing the same.
“I guess to some it may be hard,” Ward said. “But if you have the ability to play multiple sports, it’s fun. Something you enjoy doing. You’re playing year round. Just different sports. Not everyone can do it.
“For myself, it was a fun experience, being able to compete a high level in two sports at a major university. I enjoyed competing.”
Ward had what Murray has. Cooperative coaches. Bobby Bowden and Pat Kennedy allowed Ward to balance his time with Florida State. Lincoln Riley and Skip Johnson shared Murray quite well last spring; so well that in baseball the A’s were enticed to take Murray ninth overall in the draft and in football the Sooner offense hasn’t missed Baker Mayfield.
“It wasn’t so much of a business decision,” Ward said. “It was moreso just enjoying what I enjoyed in high school. Just fortunate to be able to have coaches that understand and allow you to do it. Not everyone can do it, because this day and age, you want to focus on what your strength is.
“But he’s given himself an opportunity to play college football. Not sure what his pro prospect is in football. But I know in baseball, he’s a toptier player. And they’re allowing him to do it. I would definitely jump on that deal.”
Ward jumped on that deal to the tune of 11 years in the NBA, most of the time as a backup point guard, though he made 285 career starts.
A Heisman Trophy, a football national championship and a double-digit pro career in another sport. Murray would take that, starting with Friday night.